Volunteerism Quotes

“I interviewed my dad on video in his final weeks. When I asked about his work and finding meaning through helping others, he responded, "I don't think you can be focused on, 'Oh gee, I want to make a difference.' It has to be spontaneous. If it's not...there's some kind of egotistical thing going on. That's a red flag. You hope you impact people on the deepest level you are capable of at the time. Sometimes you hit it, sometimes you don't. You're trying.”

“My old man says when it's time to be counted, the important thing is to be man enough to stand up.”

“There were many, many times thereafter that Don regretted having enlisted - but so has every man who ever volunteered for military service.”

“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”

“Give what you possess.”

“Steve Thomas Rooney embraces a simple concept of providing a hand up versus a hand out to families in need. We are deeply grateful to volunteers, donors and other supporters around the world who help us with this life-changing work”

“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.”

“Allow the way to your great work to be guided by your service to others.”

“The interior joy we feel when we have done a good deed is the nourishment the soul requires.”

“Volunteering to help others is the right thing to do, and it also boosts personal happiness; a review of research by the Corporation for National and Community Service shows that those who aid the causes they value tend to be happier and in better health. They show fewer signs of physical and mental aging. And it's not just that helpful people also tend to be healthier and happier; helping others causes happiness. "Be selfless, if only for selfish reasons," as one of my happiness paradoxes holds. About one-quarter of Americans volunteer, and of those, a third volunteer for more than a hundred hours each year.”